Fullmetal Alchemist the Sound of Silence
by Rosefyre 'Rio' Lee
Summary: Rewritten. Colonel Mustang has a secret. And she is on the run from the military. Will She be at all safe with Ed and Al Elric? I am not sure I will ever finished this. R&R Please.


Chapter I: The Sound of Silence 

It was a fine morning in Central City. The sun shown down on the good citizens as they went about their business. But at the temporary home of the Elric Brothers things were not sunny. Only yesterday, Edward Elric had fought against a mad man named Barry the Chopper who had very nearly taken his life, had not his brother Alphonse Elric and Edwards's military superiors come to his rescue. Poor Ed was still reeling from the experience when the military in the form of Colonel Mustang pulled up to the residence. With him as always was Lt. Hawkeye, but also a small person who had only recently come back into his care.

"Lieutenant, will you wait out here for us?" asked Colonel Mustang briskly. Lt. Hawkeye grimaced at the thought of letting the Colonel 'wander off', but orders were orders.

"Yes sir," she said frowning. Colonel Mustang gave her his usual charismatic smile, but something about it seemed a bit empty today.

He took a small suitcase out of the car and was about to walk up to the door of the Elric brother's house when he realized the small person wasn't following. She sat in the car covered almost completely in a long black cloak. Swiftly he reached back into the car and took the girls hands.

"Come along, I promise they won't be mean to you." The girl then got up and got out of the car without protest. The two then walked up the side door, the Colonel guiding the be-cloaked figure by the shoulder.

"Oh, hello Colonel," said Al quietly when he answered the knock on the door.

"Hello Alphonse," returned Colonel Mustang. "Is your brother at home?" If Alphonse had still had a human face it would have fell at that moment, but he did not.

Alphonse Elric and his brother had lost their mother at a young age. In desperation, they had broken the most fundamental law of Alchemy in order to see their mother's beautiful smile once more. The attempt had robbed Edward of his left leg and Alphonse of his entire body. Unable to live alone with what they'd done Edward sacrificed his right arm to rescue his brother, only to find that such a _'small'_ price would only bring back Alphonse's soul.

Now, all that had been Alphonse was trapped in a suit of metal armor, and Edward had to have fullmetal prosthetics melded to his body.

For some people, being greeted by a full suit of armor would be nerve-racking, but the Colonel was unmoved.

"Actually, sir, my brother is still resting from his -er- ordeal. Please, if you could come back tomorrow . . ." But Colonel Mustang would not be put off.

"It is imperative that I see your brother immediately Alphonse. I have orders for him."

"Orders from whom?" asked Ed. He'd been sitting in the living area the whole time and had overheard the conversation. He'd come to investigate once it was clear that the Colonel was not going to go away. "Doesn't the military allow sick leave after a traumatic event?"

To tell the truth, he did look very traumatized. His eyes had deep circles under them, as if he'd been unable to sleep for the nightmares, and he had a small blanket over his shoulders, that didn't seem to be doing its job, for he was shivering.

"Actually, the orders are from me," said the Colonel. No one noticed the tired quality creeping into his voice. "May we please come in?"

It was only in this moment that the Elric brothers noticed the small person standing beside Colonel Mustang. She was about three inches shorter than Edward was and until that moment had been standing slightly behind the Colonel, covered in her black hooded cloak, which may have accounted for them not seeing her. Now she was gently pushed forward by him.

"Uh . . . sure, you can." said Al generously. Ed stared at the girl, not really sure what to make of her.

The Colonel steered the un-protesting girl to sit on the couch beside where Ed had been sitting and set the suitcase beside her, himself taking the only arm chair in the living room. Al stood beside the couch; at first, it seemed that Ed would do the same. However, after looking disgruntled for a moment he eventually sat down, a little bit to the left of the spot he'd previously occupied.

"Who's that? Are you trying to catch our sympathy, or something?" asked Ed, annoyed.

"Her name is Leândra. She will be staying with you, now."

"What?" said both boys in shock. They now looked at Leândra with scrutiny. However, neither of them having come into contact with an accident that lead them to be able to see through things, they couldn't see much. The black cloak hid her almost entirely and, although she surely must have heard every word that had been spoken, she made no attempt to remove it.

"She's being stubborn," said the Colonel in a sort of embarrassed-big-brotherly way, and he got up and took her hood off. "She is certainly capable of dressing herself." The moment the black hood came off, a mane of long, fire red hair cascaded down and about her shoulders. Now the Elric brothers stared for a very different reason.

At first Leândra kept staring at the floor, but then she slowly looked over at Ed's chest. It was as if she couldn't be bothered to look into his eyes for she slowly looked back down at the floor, but not before Ed had noticed the lusterless quality of her piercing green eyes.

"What happened to her?" he asked, now very curious and worried. "Her eyes . . . it's as if she were dead inside." Colonel Mustang grew very grave.

"You believe you've seen the worst of what Alchemy is capable of? She's seen more than even you could imagine. Been a victim so many times for so many people, each time we were able to either set her right or catch the Scum in time." The Colonel's had suddenly grown more serious that either Elric had ever seen him.

"Colonel is this girl . . ." began Ed.

"Her name is _Leândra,_" interrupted Colonel Mustang. Ed frowned, he disliked being interrupted and he also disliked Colonel Mustang. For him the Colonel represented an institution that not only made Alchemists into monsters, but condoned use of innocents as Guinea Pigs as well. He may well have loved to call Leândra by her name, but he'd be damned if he was going to do it to please Colonel Mustang.

Al delicately took up the question.

"Colonel, I believe what my brother was wondering is if Leândra means anything to you, besides an assignment." The Colonel adjusted his collar.

"Despite what you might think Edward, I too care about people. 'Alchemists work for the people'. It's a code I live by no matter what you choose to think." At this point Colonel Mustang got up from his chair and went to stand beside the window. "Leândra here has been victimized so many times she's sort of become a ward of the state." He was looking down at the car he and Leândra had been driven here in. Suddenly he closed the curtain a little bit and walked back over.

"There have been some of our people who have claimed that they have seen Leândra perform some astounding Alchemical feats," he now spoke quietly and somewhat quickly, as if he were afraid someone would overhear. "The military at first didn't believe, but finally subjected her to many painful and traumatic tests. They never got the results they wanted apparently, but whatever they did see perked their interest. About three years ago, she stopped speaking and went into a sort of half catatonic state. After that the Military's test sort of went down the tubes."

The Elric brothers had never heard Colonel Mustang speak in this way about the Military. He may not have shown any outward signs of being upset but the both could clearly see he thought the military had dealt him a personal injury that he'd yet to forgive and -by the sound of it- wasn't planning on forgiving ever.

"She _allowed_ them to harm her, _allowed_ them to abuse her, simply in the name of resisting their . . . recruitment." He'd paused and looked at Leândra, Ed and Al followed his gaze to find that she was gazing straight into Colonel Mustang's eyes. The Colonel seemed to be caught, as if in a trap, and unable to look away. Leândra's eyes were as dead as ever, but the fact that they _were_ dead seemed to clutch Colonel Mustang and squeeze him, like a vice. Finally, she looked back down at the floor and the Colonel looked away and adjusted his collar again.

"Anyway, I need you to care for her. The military doesn't know this, but she's been becoming more and more reactive lately. She'll look into your eyes if she truly trusts you. Sometimes I've caught her quietly singing along to the radio. If they find out, they will try to open her record again and continue the line of experiments. I'm not about to let that happen."

Ed and Al exchanged a look, as if wondering where the real Colonel was and who in the world was this guy. The Colonel didn't seem to notice.

"She really can mostly take care of herself. If you put food in front of her, she'll eat. If you give her a bedroom, she'll make it her own, so long as no one is watching her. She's neat, there'll be no need to pick up after her, just send her laundry to the same person you send your own; I'll see that everything's covered." It was plain that this was not a military assignment, but a personal one. Both the Elric brothers could clearly see it. However, while Al felt for the Colonel, Ed was still suspicious.

"Why can't you keep her?" he asked in a lazy way. "What's going on here?" Ed thought his questions might anger Colonel Mustang but it only seemed to make him more determined.

"Full Metal listen, if you don't wan to take her for me, than take her for her sake. I can order you to, but I don't wan to have to make note of it, because then they will know where to find her. I just want her to be safe. I want what ever talents or qualities she's got to blossom naturally, and not by force." Colonel Mustang's frank and guileless words had clearly moved Al. However, Ed was still acting suspicious. His face didn't change but with his next words, Colonel Mustang knew he'd found Leândra a new home with the Elric brothers.

"But, what does _she_ want?" he asked. The Colonel smiled his slightly empty charismatic smile.

"I've got a sneaking suspicion she doesn't want to be a slave of the military-alchemical complex," he said and winked at Ed as if they had a private joke between them. "What ever you do, don't report anything she does or says on paper. If something extraordinary happens, send me a telegram to meet you some place and we'll talk about it there. Otherwise, you needn't even remember I asked you to help me."

Then he walked over to Leândra and knelt before her so she was forced to look at him.

"I know you're angry with me, and I probably deserve it. But this is the only way to keep you safe, ok? Edward and Alphonse are very nice and they will protect you as long as you stay with them. Please don't be sad. I'll try to see you, if I can. Be good Leândra."

Leândra didn't move or react. Perhaps she was angry that Colonel Mustang was leaving after he'd been her guardian for so long, but the only way she knew to show him how mad or sad she was, was to retreat further into herself. Little did she know that -because he knew her- her lack of response was tearing him up inside. The Colonel patted Leândra's red head and gently touched her cheek. Then he got up and made for the door.

"Please, be good to her." he said smiling again. "I'll have the rest of her things sent over this afternoon." Then he left, closing the door behind him.

"Your name is Leândra?" asked Al, wondering if he'd get any sort of response now that Colonel Mustang had left. When he didn't, it made him feel even sorrier for her. "My name is Alphonse Elric and this is my brother Edward." He told her plunging on. "Please don't be too sad, we're not mean people at all, and will be sure to protect you from whomever is after you." Edward too now watched her, but Al might have been speaking to a stone wall for all the reply that Leândra gave. Al looked at Edward as if he were at a loss for words.

"The must have really done some terrible things to you," he said quietly "I wonder what sort of power would make them hurt a little thing like you." For a moment both brothers thought she was going to look up at Edward again, but it was just a tremble going through Leândra's body that had made it seem so. Ed looked at her for a few more moments.

"Al, give her the bedroom across the hall from ours. If were going to be her guardians than she shouldn't sleep too far from us." Al nodded his big metal head. Since it was affixed to his body, it looked almost like a bow.

"Miss Leândra? Will you follow me please?" Al began to walk away, but Leândra didn't follow at first. Al turned back to look at her. She was still staring at the floor right where Colonel Mustang had been kneeling a moment before. However, just before Al was about to speak again she got up slowly, as if being lifted like a marionette, picked up her suitcase and made her way toward him unhurriedly.

"This way, Miss Leândra," he said, as if to encourage her, and they made their way up the steps to the room Ed had mentioned.

* * *

Leândra followed Alphonse up the stairs and paused as he opened the door to one of the spare bedrooms.

"This is your room, Miss Leândra, please make yourself at home," said Al kindly. Leândra looked up a bit to see the room she was to occupy, little knowing how short a time she would be here. At that moment, the door to the room just beyond Leândra's opened up and Winry Rockbell walked out.

"Al, are you and Ed going to . . . who is that," she asked upon seeing Leândra. However, before Al could answer her, Leândra made the first quick movement since she'd come to the Elric's House. She walked into her new room and softly shut the door behind her. Winry wasn't sure weather to be insulted or confused by this action.

"What's up with her?" she asked. Al was shocked by Leândra's quick movement and at first said nothing.

" . . . she is an assignment from Colonel Mustang," he answered finally. "Brother is in charge of guarding her. The Colonel said she seems to be half catatonic." Winry immediately regretted feeling insulted.

"Oh the poor thing! But, does this mean you and Ed can't take me shopping?" Al looked at the closed door, and wondered the same. "Let's ask him. Maybe together we can figure out a way to bring her along. The two of them walked back downstairs, leaving Leândra to make the room her own.

A few minutes latter Edward climbed the stairs and knocked on Leândra's door.

"Al and I are going to take our friend Winry shopping. You can come if you want, but we are leaving soon." He was about to return to the living room but at that moment he heard Leândra's door being unlocked.

"I am glad you're coming with us . . . ," began Ed, but that was all he was able to get out. Apparently Leândra had turned her suitcase inside out judging by the state of the room to find this dress. It was a beautiful pink sundress, with ruffles and frills and lace. It fit her form to a tee and was very flattering despite her red hair.

What made Ed stair however was the fact that the dress's upper potion clearly revealed that Leândra had to be at least Ed's age or older. Suddenly Ed caught himself starring and grew very red indeed. However, the girl never attempted to slap him or even move for that matter. Her eyes seemed fixed on Ed's chest. Ed would have surly found this ironic or even funny had he not been so embarrassed. He cleared his throat.

"You look very nice," he told her, remembering how Al had suggested being extra nice to her, "come on, Al and Winry will be wondering what's keeping us." Leândra never made a sound or sign of hearing him. But she did move past him and begin to descend the stairs. Ed sighed with relief and followed.


End file.
